For some time, water jet surgery has been used, for example, in hepatic (liver) surgery since this organ, unlike any other, has tissue structures of varying consistency (parenchyma, blood vessels, bile ducts). Although the water jet separates the tissue to be cut (parenchyma), it leaves the blood vessels and bile ducts undamaged. Of course, this requires precision control of the cutting jet and also of the cutting pressure.
Moreover, care must be taken in water jet surgery to ensure absolute sterility of the cutting medium (e.g. Ringer's solution) since the fluid comes into the closest and most intense contact with the body's tissue. For example, it should be possible to replace exchangeable parts in the easiest manner possible in order to guarantee absolute sterility. Beyond this, of course, attention must also be paid to the usual problems regarding a high level of reliability, simplicity and cost-effective manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,573 B1 and DE 203 09 616 U1 disclose medical pumps for water jet surgery having replaceable pump units, thus designed for single use, which may be coupled to pump actuating devices. However, replacement of the pump devices or pump units is very time-consuming. Since relatively large forces are required to generate a high pressure at adequate flow rates, the devices for coupling the pump device to the pump actuating devices must be of a very sturdy design and have the pump device “firmly under control.”
The object of the disclosed embodiments is to develop a medical pump for water jet surgery such that the connection between the pumps unit or pump unit and the pump actuating device is improved and its operability made easier.